Tuesday, August 6, 2013

About Korean Language : Speech Level and Honorifics, Annyeonghaseyo or Annyeong ?

The most important things in Korean language is about speech level and honorofics. Please be careful about this things especially for the beginners.

Based on speech level, Generally Korean language is devided into two kind of level. Actually there are six level of the honorofics in Korean language. But I just want to discuss of two common level in Korean languages.

The first is 존댓말  jondaenmal a formal (polite) form.
Usually using with younger people to elder, junior to senior, or stranger people.
For beginners, this form is highly recommended for using.

The second is 반말 banmal an informal form.
Usually using with people who has higher status or older than a speaker. Such as parents to children, senior to junior, boss to the employees.

The word example of 존댓말 and 반말

 
English : "Hello"
존댓말 formal form : 안녕하세요 romanization : annyeonghaseyo.
반말 informal form  : 안녕 romanization : annyeong.

English : "Thank you"
존댓말 formal form : 감사합니다 romanization : kamsahamnida.
반말 informal form  :고마워 romanization : gomawo.

English : "Sorry"
존댓말 formal form : 미안합니다 romanization : mianhamnida.
반말 informal form  : 미안 romanization : mian.

Although you are speaking with the same level of ages or status, please using the formal form.
Informal form is usually use for very very closed friends and is not recommended for foreigners or beginners.

(to be continued)






Korean Traditional Wedding Costume

It's my long dream to write about Korean traditional wedding dress, due to my limited sources. Altough this article is still far from perfect I would like to describe some important points of Korean traditional wedding costume below :



Korean traditional wedding costume for a bride :

Photo Credit : www.sonjjang-hanbok.com

족두리 Jokduri : is a ornamental crown for Korean traditional wedding costume, and a bride is wearing this on her head on her wedding day. It is made from black colored silk with various ornamental accessories such as pearls, corals or embroidery. The shape is hexagonal on the top
and round at the bottom.

비녀 Binyeo : Binyeo is an ornamental hairpin for women. It is used in neatly tied-up hair to keep it steady. The material of a binyo depended on social position. In the higher classes, gold, silver, pearl, jade and coral were used. Wood, bone and brass were used for common people. The decoration also varied by social class. Dragon or phoenix ornament usually used on the queen's binyeo. The decorations and designs were made to convey best wishes for descendents, their prosperity and long lives. Binyeos are divided into two kinds, a jam 잠 a binyo which have a long body and a che 채which have a ∩ shape and now usually use when a woman is wearing a hanbok and as part of
wedding hanbok accessories.

활옷 Hwarot :
Hwarot is a traditional wedding costume with red and blue colors dominant. These colors are represents of the duality of man and woman, yin and yang. The embroidered ornaments decorated on hwarot such as peonies, lotus, mandarin ducks, phoenix, buterflies are represents of love wishes, long life and health.

드림댕기 Daenggi :
is a piece of cloth used to decorate the hair. It is tied at the end of plaited hair and left hanging down.
Daenggi also as part of wedding costume accessories.

저고리 Jeogori :
is the upper jacketlike part of hanbok.

치마 Chima :
is a wrap around skirt worn for hanbok.

꽃신 Kkotsin :
is a embroidered shoes usually has more than one color.

Korean traditional wedding costume for a groom :


Photo Credit : www.sonjjang-hanbok.com


A jacket (jeogori, 저고리) and trousers and an overcoat are worn. The jacket has loose sleeves, the trousers are roomy and tied with straps at the ankles. A vest may be worn over the shirt. A black hat could be worn.

단령 Dalryung is a type of traditional Korean clothing worn during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty(조선) by royal men for official in courts or by commoners for weddings.

용포 Ryoungpo is a type of traditional Korean clothing worn during the Joseon Dynasty(조선) by king in courts.



















Monday, August 5, 2013

Korean Tea Ceremony

Drinking tea in Korea gives us a lot of benefit. Besides it's a healthy drink, we can relieve our stress by meditating through Korean tea ceremony.




I had this experience while I travelling in Jeonju hanok village. I went to the Korean tea house and was teached how to make a Korean tea through Korean tea ceremony. It was not easy as I tought because there are some steps we should follow.



Steps of Korean tea ceremony : Steps is doing by the host.

Starting the official ceremony, first steps is heating the pot, cups and decanting bowl by pouring hot water on them. After this is complete, pour the tea leaves using a scoop into the pot.
Then pour hot water onto the leaves and will then pour out the water very quickly, thereby rinsing the leaves of any dust and opening them up slightly.
Then, pour the hot water into the decanting bowl and allow it to cool to the correct temperature for the tea. After that pour the tea into the decanting bowl, which serves to get the water off the leaves in the pot and also to give the tea an even mixture. Then it is poured into the cups.




The guests will wait until the host or master picks up their cup first, then will pick up theirs.
This is repeated until they are finished, which sometimes can be several hours later.

Sources : Random online sources.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Food Experience : 탕수육 Tangsuyuk

My first experience, trying some Korean - Chinese dishes such as jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk.
Never realized before that they are categorized as a Chinese dishes modify by Korean ingredients in Korea.
Some of Korean - Chinese dishes are jjajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, jjamppong, jajangbap, junghwa naengmyeon, kkanpunggi. Four of the rest of them, I have not tried, maybe I will try someday ^^
Jjajangmyeon is quitely popular for people and often showed up in Korean drama. So what about tangsuyuk ? When I tried 탕수육 tangsuyuk, it taste was great, mixed with sweet, sour combined with crispy chicken. It can be as an appetizer or as a main dish. If you want to explore another type of Korean food, you may try tangsuyuk ^^







Great Presents from KTO

Exciting feeling today! The gifts from Korea Tourism Organization has been arrived, as one of the winners of  KTO's event held on last June - July 2013. I got a travel pillow, a Korean fan and travelling kit. It is very useful for me and I will use them to my next trip to Korea! Thank you so much KTO for the presents ^^

Photo Credit : My Seoul with Love